B. Lowebal founded Hashomer HaDati, a religious-national Jewish youth group. A formal letter from its headquarters in Krakow expressed deep admiration to the Katowice branch administration, for its fundraising for HaShomer HaDati. A formal visit of national administration member Israel Bester made a positive impression, as noted in Dr. Dow Aaron's report.

Akiva

The official community bulletin from December, 1934 announces a Hanukah prom held by the pan-Zionist youth association Akiva.

On a trip of the Akiva Zionist youth movement

[Page 137]

Akiva group

The evening program included a speech by Rabbi Chameides, and a lecture by Dr. Y. Ornschtein (a member of the Zionist administration.). Poems by Bialik were recited, and a number of Hebrew plays were performed on stage. The notice mentions these young artists and actors: Toni Gotreich, Szlomo Szif, Dawid Weiner, Bruno Cwas and Josef Proper.

Another Hanukkah party was announced in December, 1935, an evening in which participants included Rabbi Chameides, Dr. Szymon and many others.

The Zionist Youth Association

An article published in the bulletin of March 1932 notes that Katowice's Zionist Youth Association was founded ten years earlier. A reason for its founding was a concern about the Jewish identity of the youth. Even though young Jewish children were acquiring sufficient Jewish education, they lacked the opportunity to continue their Jewish education and add to their knowledge at older ages. Therefore, this group decided to familiarize local youth with the Jewish people's history and achievements in various areas, such as literature.

The association celebrated a decade of fruitful activity in that year, at a party attended by 105 members and 80 guests. The main speeches were given by community chairman, Bruno Altman, and the Concordia chapter representative, Walter Getz, who was appointed an honorary member of the association. The report of this event relates that during the previous year a library was opened and a total of 18 lectures were hosted, in addition to social parties held every three weeks. A prominent activist mentioned in that report was Ludwig Szlezinger, the association's chairman. The association was actively Zionist: issue #33 of the bulletin includes notices of a lecture on Theodore Herzl and of the opening of Hebrew classes.

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